What happened
On August 7, 2017, during an international skydiving event at Klatovy Airport (LKKT), a mid-air collision occurred between two experienced skydivers. The event was part of a large-scale formation attempt involving 80 jumpers exiting from four SC-7 Skyvan aircraft at approximately 4,800 m AGL to attempt a German national record.
During the landing phase, at an altitude of approximately 300 m AGL, the two jumpers collided south of runway 09. The collision occurred after the lower jumper performed a 180-degree turn, likely to land into the wind, without ensuring the airspace was clear. The upper jumper struck the canopy of the lower jumper, causing damage to the canopy and briefly entangling the upper jumper in the lines.
The upper jumper managed to disentangle himself, jettisoned his main parachute, and successfully deployed his reserve parachute, landing safely. The lower jumper, however, continued flying with the damaged main parachute before jettisoning it. After a period of freefall, the lower jumper manually deployed his reserve parachute, but the canopy did not have sufficient time to fully inflate and decelerate his descent before he struck the ground at the edge of runway 09R, resulting in fatal injuries.